The body is like a machine, why it is so important to move properly (and you do not do)

Our body is perfect. It is designed so as to make the maximum of useful work at low voltage, because initially the energy savings a priority.

However, over time the impact of the environment spoils the posture, and stress, negative life experiences and a sedentary lifestyle creates muscle clamps - constant unnatural muscle tension.

What's it like - to move with minimum effort

To clearly explain why you need a cost-effective move, we give a quote from the book of Moshe Feldenkrais "Awareness Through Movement: 12 practical lessons." The author compares the human body to the machine.

Effectively acts that car, in which all the pieces exactly harmoniously with each other, blurred all that needs to be lubricated, moving parts in close contact with one another without gaps and without dirt. The energy is not wasted on useless movement it away from the desired operation.

Moshe Feldenkrais

The most effective movement - those that are deprived of random, unnecessary actions. Removing excess stress, you start moving the most easily.

It is important to learn how to convert traffic, requiring effort and exertion, in good movements, ie movements that are primarily effective as well as convenient and easy.

To better understand what was going on, check it out for yourself. Try running two simple tests that will help to find out whether you are able to move efficiently and effectively.

Test yourself on traffic efficiency

Test with a chair

Sit on the edge of a chair, put the tips of your fingers on your neck and try to get up. Do neck tensed? Try to get up again, leaving the neck relaxed. Happened?

In the process of getting up from the chair does not involve the neck muscles, but they automatically tense. This is the very unnecessary move when you spend the forces that actually requires very small stress.

Try to keep track of, at what point is strained neck. I stress increases when the body is fed forward, and chest hanging over the feet. To make sure that this voltage is too much, I tried to relax the neck in this position. I managed to do it.

So, you can get up without straining your neck muscles while lifting from a sitting position. Just because we are accustomed to do, so be retrained rather difficult.

Test weights

There is another good test of the Feldenkrais books for which you will need mechanical scales.

Sit in a chair and place your feet on the scales. Now try to get as much as possible to more easily and smoothly. Most likely, the scales will go first for a mark of your weight, then pulled back and after a few oscillations take the correct position. If your movement is smooth and effective hand slowly will reach your weight, but it will not go for it and will not hesitate.

Enslavement muscles, abnormal movement patterns, poor posture - all this becomes a habit and is perceived as a normal movement and posture. However, a closer look reveals that this is not so. You spend a lot of energy on useless movement, the muscles are in constant tension, and the body takes an unnatural position.

How can I change this? To get started, try to observe most of them.

Observe yourself every waking moment

To correct the wrong position, it must first be noted. How often do you pay attention to your posture? Do it right now.

Most likely, you will find hot spots where they should not be. Check out shoulders. Most often, they are clamped and raised. Then pay attention to neck. She tensed and leaned forward?

Check out facial muscles. Most often, they are relaxed only in dreams, and we do not notice, both during the day in a gloomy face mask hardens. What about mandible? Had she too tense? Maybe we should just ease the tension?

Get into the habit to evaluate the position of his body and muscle tension throughout the day.

Pay attention to your body and try to relax all the muscles that are unnecessarily tense at the moment. This will be your mini-meditation during the day and a great opportunity to improve the efficiency of movement. Following the relaxation of the body is removed and mental stress.

If you get used to pay attention to your body, you will have to do so in all circumstances, including in stressful situations. Evaluate how you move when afraid, upset, excited after a quarrel or dispute in a raised voice. Try changing the position of the body in this situation. You will see the changes and mental attitude.

Look for how to optimize traffic

Any movement that requires your effort can be optimized and converted into a lighter.

The human body is designed in such a way that the main effort was carried out at the expense of the broad muscles located closer to the center of the body: the gluteus, thigh muscles, back and abdomen. Due to them, we walk, run, lift weights.

If weight lifting main effort falls on the gluteal muscles and thighs, you do not nadorvote back and be able to lift more weight.

To do this, keep your back straight, push hips back and squat perform well during ascent. If you try to lift the weight due to the muscles in the arms and back, it will end badly for your lower back. Even in martial arts a good punch is only possible with the participation of the thighs. If you isolate the hips, do not get the bounce.

Do not forget that you need to learn right move: Lifting weights, zashagivat on the hill and move heavy objects at arm's length so as not to damage wow.

Paying attention to your body and keeping in mind the mechanics of movement, you can look for yourself how make something simpler and easier, how to connect to the movement of large muscle groups and relieve the load on a small.

Here is an example of life. I walk with winter stroller with runners, which is not regulated by the handle. Since I am a rather low growth, this pen is too high, so the hands are constantly tired. I started looking for a better position to take the weight off of hands, and found that if you omit the shoulders and slightly move them forward, and pull forward hands with them the load is removed.

I push the stroller body strength, that is, using the same large muscle, due to which I go, and his hands just transmit the force, not straining while.

This includes any motion in which the tired muscles. Suppose you carry a box, you get tired hands. Try to press her to him. So you remove the load from the hand and will transfer it to the large muscles that are ready for it.

Explore the movement. If you are uncomfortable and hard, do not leave attempts to do something easier. You can avoid injury and train yourself to move properly.

Watch for breathing

Speaking about the movement, not to mention the breath. It has a direct impact on how you move, how you are flexible and as you can well perform a particular action.

Develop the habit of diaphragmatic breathing - it is not so difficult. Watch for yourself and try to breathe stomach. It is natural for a person's breath, and you will soon get used to it.

In addition, breathing is involved in the formation of emotional background and mental reactions. It instantly reacts to anxiety, fear, stress situation, but it can also restore peace of mind if you control it. You can secure a comprehensive calming effect and train yourself to breathe correctly, efficiently saturating the body with oxygen.

If you are interested in the topic proper economical movement, read a book Moshe Feldenkrais "Awareness Through Movement: 12 practical lessons».

It clearly and simply explains the relationship between movement, emotions, feelings and mind, as well as are exercises that will teach you to be friends with your body and perform habitual movements easier and simpler.

Movement is life. Life - it is a process. Improve the quality of the process, then you will improve life itself.

Moshe Feldenkrais